Role of Supply Chain Management in Fashion Industry: Retrospective-Prospective Study through the Context of Sustainability

Abstract

Today, fashion brands are using sustainable cotton initiatives to reduce water, energy and chemical use, new dying technology to reduce water consumption by up to 50%, as well as numerous energy and chemical saving schemes throughout the supply chain. And along with the development of more socially and eco-conscious production and marketing practices, there is still room for the sustainable fashion movement to grow beyond its current scope (Ackroyd, Hughes, and Soothill 1989). With the support of growing information networks and brand transparency consumers will be better equipped than ever before. Now the fashion industry around the world generates more than a trillion dollars annually. It is a well-known fact that textile industry is one of the most polluted industries in the world. The future of fashion calls for sustainability. Currently, one can see a depressing situation in the textile industry as far as textile pollution is concerned. However, the future of fashion is not as bleak as it may seem. Currently, big clothing and footwear brands are showing the world, how fashion can be made sustainable and successful. The research methodology applied for this purpose is a critical literature review examining books and articles also and the current trends of the fashion. The findings demonstrate the rising importance of sustainability in fashion retail. In this regard, fashion retailers play a key role and responsibility for the sustainability in the fashion supply chain from the beginning to the end.